Just became a member of ARRSE after i ended up on here trying to interrogate the internet for a few unanswered questions i have about joining the TA.

I have been thinking about joining the TA for the last couple of months after i visited my local army recruitment centre. They was able to answer a lot of the questions i had but was unable to answer them all as there was no representative from the TA there at the time. I dropped in again a few weeks later and there was still no rep there so i have turned to the internet.

With out boring you all i thought i put a bit about myself hoping it will hope you answer the few questions that i have.

I am 27 years old and have been working as a maintenance engineer for 11 years since school after completing an advanced modern apprenticeship. I have BTEC, HNC, NVQ 2/3 and began attending university to gain a mix of qualifications in electrical/electronic and mechanical engineering, with my role at work being electrically biased but helping the fitters when required. I work for a large abrasives manufacturer in the Midlands working on large industrial machinery in what can be a very harsh environment. I have a lot of skills and experience but want to put it towards more than maintaining, modifying and repairing abrasive machinery. Im not one for sitting behind a desk in a shirt and tie watching everyone else do the work, i like to get involved and get dirty, its more rewarding.
Outside of work of play football around 3/4 times a week, do a lot of mountain biking and regularly play paintball around the country. I like to keep myself in shape and im looking for a lot more adventure and experience.
I live in the Midlands on the A5 halfway between Coventry and Birmingham so have quite a few TA centres near by. My first instinct was to join the REME but gave a bit of consideration to the RE.

1. what role would my skills and experience be best suited for in the REME or RE? My first thoughts were vehicle recovery or vehicle electrician. I would like to be near the front line and get involved, not stuck in some back room miles away. I want to be in the role where i can have the biggest impact and be a my full potential.

2. are you able to have more than one role, be multi-skilled. Be recovery as well as a vehicle electrician for example?

3. do you attend your nearest TA centre regardless of your cap badge or do you have to attend the nearest one for you cap badge? i.e you nearest centre could be 10 miles away but the nearest relevant for you could be 50 miles away.

4. before joining are you able to attend a local drill night and see what is involved?

Just became a member of ARRSE after i ended up on here trying to interrogate the internet for a few unanswered questions i have about joining the TA.

I have been thinking about joining the TA for the last couple of months after i visited my local army recruitment centre. They was able to answer a lot of the questions i had but was unable to answer them all as there was no representative from the TA there at the time. I dropped in again a few weeks later and there was still no rep there so i have turned to the internet.

With out boring you all i thought i put a bit about myself hoping it will hope you answer the few questions that i have.

I am 27 years old and have been working as a maintenance engineer for 11 years since school after completing an advanced modern apprenticeship. I have BTEC, HNC, NVQ 2/3 and began attending university to gain a mix of qualifications in electrical/electronic and mechanical engineering, with my role at work being electrically biased but helping the fitters when required. I work for a large abrasives manufacturer in the Midlands working on large industrial machinery in what can be a very harsh environment. I have a lot of skills and experience but want to put it towards more than maintaining, modifying and repairing abrasive machinery. Im not one for sitting behind a desk in a shirt and tie watching everyone else do the work, i like to get involved and get dirty, its more rewarding.
Outside of work of play football around 3/4 times a week, do a lot of mountain biking and regularly play paintball around the country. I like to keep myself in shape and im looking for a lot more adventure and experience.
I live in the Midlands on the A5 halfway between Coventry and Birmingham so have quite a few TA centres near by. My first instinct was to join the REME but gave a bit of consideration to the RE.

1. what role would my skills and experience be best suited for in the REME or RE? My first thoughts were vehicle recovery or vehicle electrician. I would like to be near the front line and get involved, not stuck in some back room miles away. I want to be in the role where i can have the biggest impact and be a my full potential.

I would believe REME given your two suggestions above, but the only way to find out is to go and speak to people at your nearest REME and RE locations.

2. are you able to have more than one role, be multi-skilled. Be recovery as well as a vehicle electrician for example?

Ask at the unit, but remember that training time available is limited so expect to focus on one thing if you want to do it vaguely competently.

3. do you attend your nearest TA centre regardless of your cap badge or do you have to attend the nearest one for you cap badge? i.e you nearest centre could be 10 miles away but the nearest relevant for you could be 50 miles away.

Either nearest for capbadge, or one of the national units if you are in a specialised trade. Distance travelled may have implications on travel expense claims.

4. before joining are you able to attend a local drill night and see what is involved?

An absolute must, but try and phone up before hand to make sure that it will be a good day to visit - some units have recruit briefing evenings, others may not be able to do your visit justice if they are away on camp, CO is visiting etc.

Sorry to waffle on but any help is greatly appreciated.

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Have a good search of the threads on here - most of your questions (and variations on them) have been asked and answered before, so a bit of time spent reading will avoid snotty responses. I just happen to be in a reasonable mood today!

Go and visit a few units and see what they say and what they offer you. Proximity is a big one but not the only one. I travel a 60 mile round trip because of my civi trade/cap badge tie and because I like the Sqn.

Don't expect fast efficient service from the MoD. It takes a while for the wheels of inertia to loose all your docs.

I can't answer the REME specialist questions, but 3. You would generally attend the nearest TA centre relevant to your cap badge, but infantry units often have
need of REME guys so it may be worth enquiring if you can join as attached to a infantry unit. 4. Any TA unit should offer you the ability to have a look round at the acivities they do on a
an evening. Hope it helps